I draw lots of printable instruction pages for my online courses, which means spending hours each day pushing that 2B pencil. So what so I do when I need a break? I draw. I can’t help it — it’s my favorite thing to do!

Just finished drawing the printable garden calendar page for April. I’m having a wonderful time creating this little project, and I’ve met gardeners from all over the world as they email to ask for the free pdf files. My 12-month calendar series is free for the asking — just send me a note with your email address and the pages will magically appear in your inbox. Now, on to May…

Did you have a favorite stuffed animal when you were a child? I did. Actually, I still do. Mine was a tall, slim stuffed cat who now sits on the corner of my drawing table. He’s nearly 50 and all his fur was rubbed off long ago. He has one serene green glass eye left, and he leans to one side. But he’s been a faithful friend since I was four years old — and came out of retirement to befriend my daughters when they were small — so that makes him absolutely beautiful to me.

Just in time for Christmas, I’m giving away a wonderful stuffed kitty by Sweet Paisley Studio. Handmade with cleverly upcycled fabrics and block-printed features, this cutie will delight the cat lover on your holiday gift list. (I particularly like those long, stripey legs.)

Leave a comment below to be entered in the drawing — be sure your comment links back to your blog or email so that I can notify you if you win. Selection will be made this Saturday, Dec. 17 by www.random.org. Good luck!

I have one remaining hand-carved raku kitty tile remaining in the studio. I love drawing (and carving) cats, because they are such expressive creatures…a plump and sleepy housecat is the perfect picture of contentment. This kitty was carved from a slab of raku clay, then glazed and fired, and is now ready to find a home. The tile measures 5 inches by 5 inches, and has hanging hardware fired into the back. $30

Here’s the same tile in its early stages, freshly carved and unfired. Enjoy!

My mom, the bravest person I know, was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer four months ago. About to have her sixth round of chemo — with surgery scheduled for early September — she is navigating this strange new landscape with her usual upbeat enthusiasm.

But watching her journey has made me more aware of the prevalence of this disease. And when Anne Leuck Feldhaus posted the following note on Facebook this week, I wanted to help somehow:

Anna Millea, a longtime Guild and Artful Home artist, is fighting breast cancer — again. The disease has returned aggressively and is now in her bones, requiring an extreme sixteen rounds of chemotherapy. She has no insurance, having been deemed uninsurable due to her “pre-existing condition.”
Artful Home will hold a 5-day online event, “Hearts for Anna”, August 12-16, 2009 in which miniature artworks, no larger than 5” x 7”, will be sold. The items will be sold first-come, first serve, with all items selling for $100 on Day 1, $75 on Days 2 – 4, and $50 on Day 5. All money will go to a fund that goes directly to Anna Millea to help pay for her medical bills.

Wonderful, original artworks from across the country have been donated for this special sale. You can see them all here.

The carved tile we’ll use in tonight’s pottery class moldmaking demo was inspired by a sweet little homeless cat who has taken up residence in our tool shed. We first saw her yesterday, curled up on a shelf next to the pruning shears. She’s a pretty little calico, very young and very skinny. She was shy at first, but a continuous supply of food and water has brought out her sociable side.